Category Archives: Seasonal Happenings

March is a month of transition from winter to areas of open water therefore signaling the return of water fowl. The first week of March often brings the return of the Canada Geese. Pairs claim nesting territory honking noisily. A pair of geese can be seen standing on the ice of the marshes and wetlands […]

The month of February was designated National Bird Feeding Month by an Illinois congressman, John Porter. In 1994, he read a resolution in to the Congressional Record. The month is an ideal time for promoting and enjoying the experience of wild bird feeding. The theme for 2019 is to ensure that our birds, our harbingers […]

Welcome Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls This is the time of year when you may begin to see some less-common visitors to your backyard feeding stations. Every few years, we experience an “irruption”—an influx of typically northern-dwelling birds—into our Twin Cities Metro Area and beyond in Minnesota. The irruption is often due to poor crops […]

There’s a wide range of foods you can offer on a bird Christmas tree that will attract a wide variety of birds and the more you decorate a tree the more species you will see. Make sure that your bird treat tree is visible from a comfortable spot in your house. What a delightful sight […]

Want to attract more birds to your yard this winter? Supply a source of open water! When temperatures drop, birds are in a constant struggle to maintain their body temperatures. A steady source of fats and proteins will help to nourish and fuel birds’ metabolic needs and keep them warm. But also important—a source of […]

REPRINTED FROM OUR BIRD’S-EYE VIEW ARCHIVES: SEPT/OCT 2017 Minnetonka Manager Carol Chenault shares how she readies her backyard for the change in seasons Addressing Nectar Feeders As I bid the Baltimore Orioles farewell the first week of September, the transition to fall backyard bird feeding begins. Taking down the oriole feeders, washing them well with […]

Why it’s important to clean birdhouses Cleaning out the birdhouses in your yard is one way to protect your backyard birds from pests and disease while making your birdhouses more attractive for new nesting birds. The fall clean up is very important. Dirty birdhouses can harbor rodents, insects, feather mites and bacteria that can spread […]

As the autumn migration ramps up, you may find that you have increased numbers of European Starlings passing through your backyard. Starlings’ greedy and aggressive behaviors can intimidate other feeder birds and drain your food sources. Here’s an easy tip for serving suet to your smaller clinging birds while discouraging starlings.

The crazy, hazy, lazy days of late summer call for a great reading list! Bird lovers will enjoy these selections by local resident, naturalist wildlife photographer and prolific author; Stan Tekiela. A Year in Nature with Stan Tekiela—a Naturalist’s Notes on the Seasons Learn from the expert in this collection of some of the 500 […]